Terrible April

[Madeleine]

It's our worst year ever!.

It's our worst year ever!

Wonder what's going on! All indicators show the economy is better, stock market is higher, unemployment keeps slowly dropping. Maybe people, on the whole, have a little more money but are buying something other than travel. Or maybe they're saving. Probably something else, but what?
.

I don't know. We went on our first 2 week travel vacation since our honeymoon.
Lots of guests this summer are staying 5 - 9 nights. It's just right now for us.

 

[Highlands John]

It's our worst year ever!.

It's our worst year ever!

Wonder what's going on! All indicators show the economy is better, stock market is higher, unemployment keeps slowly dropping. Maybe people, on the whole, have a little more money but are buying something other than travel. Or maybe they're saving. Probably something else, but what?
.

Someone suggested to me that although all the economic pointers are on the way up the good has yet to filter down to people pockets and many are reaching the end of their safety net, used up during the recession.

 

[Highlands John]

What a funny old year we're having. After a terrible April, May wasn't too bad, about average.
But June is terrible for advanced bookings, although we are getting people off the street to fill some rooms.
Advanced bookings for July & August are not too bad, but normally this time of year I'd be getting 2-3 calls or emails a day, I'm lucky if I'm getting 1.
I'm of the opinion that the independence debate gives a voice to a very vocal minority of Scots who are very anti-English (bordering on racism), particularly those in charge of the Scottish parliament, which is putting the English off from coming here. Normally around 60% of our guests would be English this time of year, lately it's been 20-30%..

I don't think so - we are a half way point between London and you - have lots of people stopping off for 1 night on their way to Scotland - doesn't seem to be an issue.
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I don't think so - we are a half way point between London and you - have lots of people stopping off for 1 night on their way to Scotland - doesn't seem to be an issue.

Send them my way, will ya!!!!

 

[Highlands John]

It's our worst year ever!.

It's our worst year ever!

Wonder what's going on! All indicators show the economy is better, stock market is higher, unemployment keeps slowly dropping. Maybe people, on the whole, have a little more money but are buying something other than travel. Or maybe they're saving. Probably something else, but what?
.

Someone suggested to me that although all the economic pointers are on the way up the good has yet to filter down to people pockets and many are reaching the end of their safety net, used up during the recession.
.

In 2013 I sold 12 rooms to walk-ins.
This June I've sold 6 already. Now that could be partly down to the fact that advanced bookings are so poor for June, normally I'd be pretty close to fully booked by now.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

Weather is a factor, too. Spring was very stubborn this year. April weather sucked.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

We used to work in retail and every day, the manager recorded sales in order to compare to last year. She also recorded the weather that day for comparison purposes.

 

[Joey Camb]

What a funny old year we're having. After a terrible April, May wasn't too bad, about average.
But June is terrible for advanced bookings, although we are getting people off the street to fill some rooms.
Advanced bookings for July & August are not too bad, but normally this time of year I'd be getting 2-3 calls or emails a day, I'm lucky if I'm getting 1.
I'm of the opinion that the independence debate gives a voice to a very vocal minority of Scots who are very anti-English (bordering on racism), particularly those in charge of the Scottish parliament, which is putting the English off from coming here. Normally around 60% of our guests would be English this time of year, lately it's been 20-30%..

I don't think so - we are a half way point between London and you - have lots of people stopping off for 1 night on their way to Scotland - doesn't seem to be an issue.
.

I don't think so - we are a half way point between London and you - have lots of people stopping off for 1 night on their way to Scotland - doesn't seem to be an issue.

Send them my way, will ya!!!!

.

unfortunately they have already been booked - I would say though they do seem from what I remember to be self catering - wonder if this is a budget trend?
Mind you my cousin runs a self catering management co - ie runs other people's for them - she says people think they will cook and save money but the majority eat out anyway.

 

[Generic]

April was bad but it didn't help that I had to close for a few days, too. May is a little down. But June is better, so far. I have gotten a few more last minute calls lately, but we don't normally walk-ins, ever. All of this while we have renovations going on that I have to manage as well.

 

[Kay Nein]

This is an interesting thread. It's hard to determine why the numbers are up or down. We are having a record year. Our May was 8 rooms short of doubling last year's May. Jan 1st thru May 31st, we've recorded a 60% increase over same period last year.
Majority of our business is from Metro-Atlanta area. GA had a rough winter and I think once it started warming up, everyone just had to shrug off their cabin-fever and take a trip. Our town in general is seeing an uptick in activity. Local scenic railroad has actually added extra trips in June & July. They normally don't run on Tues & Thurs, but they are for the next two months. It's so hard to judge what's causing it!

 

[Madeleine]

This is an interesting thread. It's hard to determine why the numbers are up or down. We are having a record year. Our May was 8 rooms short of doubling last year's May. Jan 1st thru May 31st, we've recorded a 60% increase over same period last year.
Majority of our business is from Metro-Atlanta area. GA had a rough winter and I think once it started warming up, everyone just had to shrug off their cabin-fever and take a trip. Our town in general is seeing an uptick in activity. Local scenic railroad has actually added extra trips in June & July. They normally don't run on Tues & Thurs, but they are for the next two months. It's so hard to judge what's causing it!.

So that's where all my Atlanta guests are! Usually June is when we get a big influx of GA guests. Glad someone has them!

 

[Sunshine]

What a funny old year we're having. After a terrible April, May wasn't too bad, about average.
But June is terrible for advanced bookings, although we are getting people off the street to fill some rooms.
Advanced bookings for July & August are not too bad, but normally this time of year I'd be getting 2-3 calls or emails a day, I'm lucky if I'm getting 1.
I'm of the opinion that the independence debate gives a voice to a very vocal minority of Scots who are very anti-English (bordering on racism), particularly those in charge of the Scottish parliament, which is putting the English off from coming here. Normally around 60% of our guests would be English this time of year, lately it's been 20-30%..

almost identical for us! but July and Aug isn't as good as last year either....

 

[gillumhouse]

What a funny old year we're having. After a terrible April, May wasn't too bad, about average.
But June is terrible for advanced bookings, although we are getting people off the street to fill some rooms.
Advanced bookings for July & August are not too bad, but normally this time of year I'd be getting 2-3 calls or emails a day, I'm lucky if I'm getting 1.
I'm of the opinion that the independence debate gives a voice to a very vocal minority of Scots who are very anti-English (bordering on racism), particularly those in charge of the Scottish parliament, which is putting the English off from coming here. Normally around 60% of our guests would be English this time of year, lately it's been 20-30%..

almost identical for us! but July and Aug isn't as good as last year either....
.

almost identical for us! but July and Aug isn't as good as last year either....

I do not look at what I have on the books NOW as a guide to what will be. Until 2 weeks ago, this week was fairly empty. It ended with me playing musical beds with one guest, making her leave for 2 nights to accommodate the few that WERE on the books. Last weekend was the same - I ended up flipping rooms several times that I had expected to not have to do anything to between Thursday when the men left for their bike ride and Sunday when they returned. When DH asks when is the next reservation I tell him what is on the books and add unless the phone rings or they book online.
This year IS different though - I got a 4-night over Labor Day already - so I guess I am not going to my 50 year class reunion (actually year 51 - this year is the all school & we figured no one would make 2 trips).

 

[Kay Nein]

This is an interesting thread. It's hard to determine why the numbers are up or down. We are having a record year. Our May was 8 rooms short of doubling last year's May. Jan 1st thru May 31st, we've recorded a 60% increase over same period last year.
Majority of our business is from Metro-Atlanta area. GA had a rough winter and I think once it started warming up, everyone just had to shrug off their cabin-fever and take a trip. Our town in general is seeing an uptick in activity. Local scenic railroad has actually added extra trips in June & July. They normally don't run on Tues & Thurs, but they are for the next two months. It's so hard to judge what's causing it!.

So that's where all my Atlanta guests are! Usually June is when we get a big influx of GA guests. Glad someone has them!
.

Where are you located?

 

[Madeleine]

This is an interesting thread. It's hard to determine why the numbers are up or down. We are having a record year. Our May was 8 rooms short of doubling last year's May. Jan 1st thru May 31st, we've recorded a 60% increase over same period last year.
Majority of our business is from Metro-Atlanta area. GA had a rough winter and I think once it started warming up, everyone just had to shrug off their cabin-fever and take a trip. Our town in general is seeing an uptick in activity. Local scenic railroad has actually added extra trips in June & July. They normally don't run on Tues & Thurs, but they are for the next two months. It's so hard to judge what's causing it!.

So that's where all my Atlanta guests are! Usually June is when we get a big influx of GA guests. Glad someone has them!
.

Where are you located?
.

Where are you located?

Up north where it's cool in June! ;-)